The Leader makes these recommendations in the Aug. 7 primary election
Jefferson County executive, Republican
Dennis Gannon
A familiar surname in Jefferson County politics is on the Republican primary ballot for county executive. But name recognition is not the reason we prefer businessman Dennis Gannon to win on Aug. 7 over opponent Gary L. Stout II, an officer in the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
De Sotoan Gannon, 63, is the son of Jack Gannon, who represented Jefferson County in both houses of the state Legislature. Dennis Gannon has been married to state Rep. Elaine Freeman Gannon (R-115) for 42 years.
But he gets the edge in this race because of his deep and varied involvement in Jefferson County business development and civic and community service.
Gannon has worked for his family business – which has included a grocery store, a cafeteria, hotels, shopping center developments and commercial real estate – since high school. Along the way he served 20 years in the U.S. Naval Reserves and Missouri National Guard. He’s devoted long hours to numerous boards, notably those of Jefferson College, Mercy Hospital Jefferson, the Jefferson County Port Authority, the De Soto School District and the De Soto Chamber of Commerce.
Communication and transparency, Gannon says, will help him maximize his skills as a relationship-builder to create trust between the county executive and the County Council. Meanwhile, he can pursue economic growth in the county – which he sees as the executive’s main job – with a business insider’s perspective and expertise.
“Let’s ask businesses what we can do to make their lives better,” Gannon says. “And get businesses to relocate here – especially companies that work with Jefferson County companies now.”
We endorse Dennis Gannon in the Republican primary for county executive.
Prosecuting attorney, Republican
Trisha Stefanski
Jefferson County voters will find two well-qualified candidates in the Republican primary for Jefferson County prosecuting attorney. But just like us, they will have to choose only one.
In our view, Trisha Stefanski, an assistant prosecutor in the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for the past 11 years, edges past private attorney Mark Bishop in three respects: her long-term dedication to a public service legal job that pays significantly less than she could have made with a law firm, her insider’s view of what needs to be done to improve the office, and her appealing mix of compassion and toughness while aiming for a job that will require both qualities.
The prosecuting attorney’s position is open in 2018 after Forrest Wegge, a Democrat, decided not to pursue a fourth four-year term.
The winner of the Aug. 7 Republican primary will face off in the Nov. 6 general election against Democrat Tom Hollingsworth, also a current assistant prosecutor.
Stefanski and Bishop have things in common. Both went to law school the hard way, fitting their studies around jobs that paid the bills; both have strong records of community service; and both have the experience in criminal and civil matters that this job requires.
Stefanski, 43, Arnold, has served in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office as lead drug prosecutor for more than a decade. She notes that 90 percent of all crimes are related to drugs and says that while a prosecutor’s role is to seek justice for crimes, the job can also be used to try to redeem people and save lives.
“The goal is to make them (drug offenders) better,” she says.
She has a commendable priority list, if elected. For greater efficiency, she wants to add a second office manager and another prosecutor’s position, plus create a domestic abuse-sex crimes unit to help victims by completing those cases more quickly.
And she wants the prosecutor’s office to have more of a presence in the community, with a plan to use social media to answer the public’s questions, to inform when charges are filed and about changes in laws.
She favors a cross-training program with law officers to build a stronger relationship between those who arrest and those who charge.
Stefanski has paid her dues. She has been in the trenches for a long time but does not come off as world-weary or jaded. Instead, she demonstrates a passion for her work and the vibe of someone who will do her utmost to accomplish her goals.
Vote for Trisha Stefanski in the Aug. 7 Republican primary for Jefferson County prosecuting attorney.
Jefferson County Circuit Court judge, Division 1, Republican
Joe Rathert
No matter what happens in the Aug. 7 Republican primary, Jefferson County residents can be assured a quality person will wear the judge’s robe in Division 1 of the 23rd Judicial Circuit.
However, our pick for the job is Joe Rathert, 55, High Ridge, because of his breadth of experience in 30 years as an attorney, his seven and a half years as judge of the Jefferson County Municipal Court, and his determination to create a mental health court in Jefferson County once he is on the bench.
Rathert is challenging Carl W. (Wes) Yates III, who has served as the Division 1 judge since 2017, after besting Rathert in 2016 balloting. Rathert ran as a Democrat in that race, but now is pursuing the judgeship – a job that should be nonpartisan, anyway – as a Republican.
There is no Democrat running in the Nov. 6 general election, so the victor in the primary will win the six-year term.
Yates is capable and hard-working, but his legal background has been largely devoted to government law (he served well as Jefferson County counselor from 2011-2016), and his resume does not match Rathert’s for variety of cases and time in the field.
In addition to his professional qualifications, Rathert has a strong record of volunteerism. He has served as the county’s truancy court judge since 2015, coached youth sports and been a Sunday School teacher. He also has served as a city alderman and a park board member.
Rathert’s court handled more than 100,000 files during his tenure as Municipal Court judge from 2011 until he resigned in May to focus on his campaign. He has seen scores of county residents who are struggling and need help to get their lives on track.
One solution, he believes, would be the creation of a mental health court for the circuit, which would link offenders with mental health issues to long-term community-based treatment rather than send them straight to our overcrowded jails and prisons.
“If I get this job, it (a mental health court) is going to happen,” Rathert says with conviction.
Other parts of the state have used such courts for the community’s good, and Rathert is on the right track.Â
Joe Rathert has the experience, passion and stamina to serve as a circuit court judge and deserves your vote on Aug. 7.
Associate Circuit judge, Jefferson County Division 11, Republican
Ed Page
In races for judge positions, judicial experience matters. Ed Page has it and his two opponents don’t, which tells you all you need to know about the Republican primary for Div. 11 associate circuit judge.
Whoever wins in this three-way race will be unopposed in November. The other two candidates are Mary Courtney-Manus and Jennifer Breedlove, both attorneys in private practice. Breedlove has not campaigned for the position.
Page, 53, is a lifelong resident of Festus and has owned and operated the Page Law Firm in that city for 28 years. He has served as the municipal judge in Festus for 12 years and in Crystal City for 13 years and is a provisional Municipal Court judge for Jefferson County.
While Page has handled a broad range of legal matters at street-level, he says he’s done “a tremendous amount of domestic mediation work,” which can fit well with the responsibilities of an associate circuit judge.
“Attorneys will tell you, I’m their choice for mediation,” he says. “That skill set is so important for a judge to have.”
Like a seasoned baseball player ready to come up from the minor leagues, Page has the breadth and depth of experience to qualify for a promotion. On Aug. 7, Republicans can put their confidence in Ed Page to be the next associate circuit judge in Div. 11.
Circuit clerk, Republican
Laurie Laiben
In an unusually crowded Republican primary for Jefferson County circuit clerk, we find Laurie Laiben the best choice among the five candidates.
Even though there is an incumbent in the scrum, Laiben has spent more time (eight years) working in the Circuit Clerk’s Office than any other Republican candidate, has experience in various areas of the office, including as a supervisor, and is the only candidate who is a certified court administrator.
The winner of the Aug. 7 primary will take on former Jefferson County Auditor Dorothy Stafford, running as a Democrat, in the Nov. 6 general election.
Laiben’s Republican competition includes one-term incumbent Circuit Clerk Mike Reuter, Gary Davis, John Campisi and Ashley Michelle Scrivner. Of the five, Scrivner – who works in the Circuit Clerk’s Office and is the daughter-in-law of Reuter’s second-in-command, Christy Scrivner – was the only candidate who did not participate in the Leader’s Voters Guide.
The circuit clerk supervises more than 50 employees and maintains the records for the 23rd Judicial Circuit, including documents concerning criminal, civil and probate cases.
In addition to her experience at the county level, Laiben, 60, Crystal City, is the current court administrator for the Arnold Municipal Court and administrative assistant to that town’s prosecuting attorney. She is eminently qualified to step up to lead Jefferson County’s top court administration office.
Laiben sees room for improvement in the way the office is being run. She wants to protect the public’s privacy by making sure that only sworn-in deputy clerks are allowed access to confidential records; stop what she sees as wasteful spending of taxpayers’ money; provide better access to title companies and abstractors that need information for their jobs; and hire more knowledgeable staff to make the law library more useful for residents.
In their detailed focus, Laiben’s goals demonstrate her insider’s knowledge of how this vital office ought to operate. Republicans should give her the chance to move on to the general election.
Vote Aug. 7 for Laurie Laiben in the Republican primary for circuit clerk.
County clerk, Republican
Ken Waller
Jefferson County Executive Ken Waller, who decided not to run for re-election after two terms in office, wants to stay on duty in Hillsboro, but in a different capacity – as county clerk. He first has to earn the Republican nomination in the Aug. 7 primary, over opponent Jeremy Day. We give the nod to Waller based on his experience in county government. In addition to his eight years as executive, Waller was the county treasurer from 2005-2008.
Waller should get credit for a decision he made in February 2017, when he appointed former county Assessor Randy Holman as county clerk, after Wes Wagner resigned. Under the county charter, Waller had to appoint a Democrat since Wagner was one, and Waller chose Holman as the best person for the job – despite criticism from some Republicans that he should have appointed someone less electable.
Now, if Waller wins his primary, he would face Holman in the Nov. 6 general election, setting up a rematch of the 2010 county executive race, when Waller beat Holman, stunning just about everyone.
Waller is 56, lives in Herculaneum and has a public service resume longer than most local officeholders. He has endured turbulence – some of it of his own making – in running the county. But we believe he’s the better-suited Republican for the clerk’s job.
Waller’s priorities include increasing voter turnout (such as through “no-excuse-required” absentee balloting), updating technology within the office, improving public interaction, and enhancing cross-training of employees for better customer service.
The Republican side of this race in November should carry the name of Ken Waller.
County auditor, Republican
Kristy Apprill
Based on her overall qualifications, in particular her 19 years of experience in the office, Kristy Apprill earns our endorsement for the Republican Party nomination to stay on the job as Jefferson County auditor.
Opposing Apprill on Aug. 7 is Eric Robinson, with the winner facing Democrat Charles L. Huey in the Nov. 6 general election.
This office is all about public accountability, transparency, and nonpartisan professionalism in managing and monitoring the county’s finances. As the current auditor, Apprill is best positioned to pursue those priorities.
County Executive Ken Waller promoted Apprill from chief deputy auditor in early June, to succeed Richard Carter. He resigned after refusing to pay legal bills in a dispute with the County Council, which then cut a position from the office’s staff. Apprill had been chief deputy auditor for 17 years when she was promoted.
Apprill, 42, Hillsboro, says she has a passion for governmental accounting and it’s reflected not only in her experience in office but in her accounting-based education. She has an undergraduate degree in accounting, completed while holding her full-time job, and is now pursuing a master’s degree in forensic accounting. That kind of commitment to enhanced knowledge in a highly technical field is a difference-maker in itself.
Besides working to rebuild the office’s staffing, Apprill says she wants to establish a whistleblower’s hotline, for anonymous reporting of misuse of county property or funds, and upgrade the office’s computer software. Both ideas address needs only an insider could appreciate.
She also talks about keeping the office nonpartisan, an important goal considering the recent dysfunction and discord coming out of Hillsboro.
Republicans should line up behind Kristy Apprill for county auditor.
Collector of revenue, Republican
Jason Fulbright
Based on his qualifications for the job, Arnold resident Jason Fulbright is the superior choice in the Republican primary for Jefferson County collector.
Fulbright’s opponent for the nomination is Lisa “Brewer” Short of Cedar Hill, who has no previous public service. The winner of the Aug. 7 primary will take on incumbent Collector Beth Mahn, the Democrat who has held the position for eight four-year terms.
Fulbright, 44, owns a property management company in Arnold and collects rent on a regular basis from tenants, on behalf of property owners. He’s also a licensed Realtor. These are businesses that depend on trust, consistency and competency, qualities we believe set him apart in this race.
In addition, Fulbright has served since 2013 on the Arnold City Council, giving him insight into revenue-related issues at the municipal level, and is on the board of Public Water Supply District 1.
A Jefferson College graduate, Fulbright extended his education with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Missouri Baptist University. He has some good ideas about improving the public’s access to collector’s office information, especially with current mobile technology.
Jason Fulbright deserves the votes of Republicans on Aug. 7 to go after the collector’s job in November.
State representative, 118th District, Democrat
Barbara Marco
A no-nonsense attitude and a strong desire to earn the trust of voters are among the attributes that make Barbara Marco our choice for the Democratic nomination in the 118th District.
This district takes in parts of central and southwestern Jefferson County and northeastern and central Washington County. Marco’s opponent for the Democratic nomination is Potosi construction worker Brian Ridenour. The winner will take on one of three Republicans in the Nov. 6 general election: Mike McGirl, Kyle Bone or Chuck Hoskins.
Marco, 65, De Soto, a first-time candidate for public office, started two small businesses and has a background in data processing. She’s an active member of multiple civic, political and community organizations, giving her an intimate knowledge of local issues. But this single mom has done her homework at the state level as well, advocating a repeal of recent state tax cuts that she says will helpboost funding to education.
Marco makes no bones about supporting single-payer, “Medicare for all” health care nationally, saying “we have to control Big Pharma greed and lobbyist-owned legislators.”
We admire the fact that in one business she started, Marco says, she hired 100 stay-at-home mothers to do remote data-entry work. Her combination of business-owner perspective and progressive stances on key issues is not easy to find these days.
She says she would be responsive to her constituents’ opinions and would reach across the aisle to work with Republicans on key issues.
Democrats can put their faith in Barbara Marco to carry their party’s flag in the Aug. 7 primary.
Jefferson County Council District 5, Republican
Tracey Perry
Tracey Perry’s wide-ranging education and experience, including 23 years in military service, plus her dedication to bringing civility to the Jefferson County Council, earns her our endorsement in the Republican Party primary for County Council District 5.
Running against Perry is retired firefighter Terry Varner, whose previous public service was all in St. Charles County and St. Louis County.
The Aug. 7 primary winner will take on Democrat Dan Darian in the Nov. 6 general election. Darian was appointed to the council late last year to replace Jim Kasten, who resigned. District 5 encompasses Festus, Crystal City, Herculaneum, Pevely and the Jefferson R-7 area.
Perry, 50, lives in Festus and is the director of social services for Festus Manor Nursing Home. As such, she gets a daily education in the human value of caring, communication and cooperation. And that’s on top of learning all about attention to duty and detail in her military career, much of it in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
Complementing that is her hands-on involvement on the Jefferson R-7 Board of Education, to which she was elected last year. She is highly educated herself, with a master’s degree in human resource management and several completed courses in the military.
“I am all about relationships, compromise and looking forward, not backward,” Perry says. “The county needs somebody just like me to help restore the trust between the County Executive and the council.”
That would sound like bragging, but not from someone with her qualifications. She’s also focused on countywide economic growth and combating the opioid crisis.
The right Republican to contend for the District 5 County Council seat is Tracey Perry.
State senator,
District 22, Democrat
Robert Butler
In the Aug. 7 primary, attorney Robert Butler earns our endorsement, over opponent Ed Thurman, for the Democratic nomination for the District 22 state Senate seat, which covers the northern half of Jefferson County.
The winner will face two rivals in the Nov. 6 general election: incumbent Republican Paul Wieland, who seeks a second four-year term, and Libertarian Richie Camden.
Butler has lived in Jefferson County since 1995 and has run his own law practice, specializing in workers’ compensation, since 1999. Butler says he feels a duty to run on the Democratic ticket out of concern for what’s going on in the Legislature, particularly in education funding, infrastructure and health care.
On education, a top priority for him is boosting funding for Jefferson College, calling it a sound investment not just for our area but for the state. On health care, he supports Medicaid expansion and protection for people with pre-existing conditions.
Butler, 53, Barnhart, voices opposition to recent state tax cuts, which he says subsidize out-of-state corporations and force reductions in education and infrastructure funding.
A pro-life advocate endorsed by Missouri Right to Life, and equipped with plenty of experience dealing with the needs of everyday people, Butler offers a fresh perspective and a strong counterpoint to the debate in Jefferson City on priorities and resources.
We recommend choosing Robert Butler for State Senate on the Democratic side of the ballot.
State Representative, 111th District, Republican
Gary Bonacker
Veteran farmer and Northwest R-1 school board member Gary Bonacker has earned a shot as the Republican candidate in this district, over two-term incumbent Shane Roden.
Sharp readers will recall that the Leader endorsed Bonacker for the Republican primary in this race two years ago. He finished second but gathered 30 percent of the votes in a splintered field of five candidates. If he comes anywhere close to capturing all the non-Roden votes cast in 2016, he will easily knock off the incumbent.
The winner of the primary election will square off against Phoebe Ottomeyer of Cedar Hill, who has no opposition in the Democratic Party’s primary. The district takes in the northwest corner of Jefferson County.
Bonacker, befitting his lifelong work ethic on a family farm that dates back to the 1850s, has a roll-up-the-sleeves attitude toward local and state priorities. The House Springs native is in his ninth year on the R-1 Board of Education, where he has helped lead the district in making tough budget decisions, a skill set that will come in handy in Jefferson City. He’s also served on the board of the Jefferson County Soil and Water Commission since 2006 and is the board’s current president. With his record of service, he is well-tuned to the issues constituents care about in this district.
Bonacker, 62, House Springs, is no cookie-cutter conservative either. He expressed a strong commitment to public education and increased funding for vocational training, and opposition to Proposition A.
State government needs more common-sense legislators and Bonacker is ready to meet that standard.
Republicans have ample reason to line up behind Gary Bonacker on Aug. 7.
State representative, 97th District, Republican
Mary Elizabeth Coleman
Local Republicans have a chip on their shoulder after they lost a special election in this district back in February. They can look to Mary Elizabeth Coleman as the best of three choices in the Aug. 7 primary.
Joining Coleman on the Republican ballot are former Arnold City Councilman Phil Amato and attorney David C. Linton. Amato has political experience on the local level and an admirable record of community service, while Linton lost to Democrat Mike Revis in the special election to replace John McCaherty, who resigned in the middle of his fourth term.
The incumbent Revis, unopposed on the Democratic side, awaits the winner of this primary in the Nov. 6 general election. The 97th District takes in much of north and northwest Jefferson County and parts of Oakville in south St. Louis County.
As a stay-at-home mother of six, Coleman, 36, of Arnold will bring a fresh perspective from the Republican side. She is an estate-planning attorney and former Arnold City Council member (2013-2015) and holds strong conservative views (pro-life, pro-Second Amendment) that appeal to Republican voters.
The daughter of two public school teachers, she is also passionate about education as the No. 1 issue in the state. Coleman strongly supports Jefferson College and the community college system for its vital role in workforce training and development.
Republicans in the 97th District should agree with us that Mary Elizabeth Coleman earns the nod on Aug. 7.
State representative, 115th District, Republican
Elaine Gannon
Elaine Gannon, running in the Aug. 7 Republican primary, for her fourth and final term in this seat, deserves your vote to return as the District 115 representative for the 100th session of the General Assembly next January.
Her opponent is political neophyte Marvin Fricke of De Soto, in a district that includes parts of south Jefferson County, northwest Ste. Genevieve County and north St. Francois County. The primary winner will run unopposed in the Nov. 6 general election.
The race offers a dramatic contrast in experience and expertise, and Gannon is the clear choice.
She worked for 32 years as a teacher and coach in the De Soto School District and says her top priority is education. She plans to push for fully funding the state’s foundation formula for the third straight year in 2019.
Gannon, 65, De Soto, serves on three committees in the House, including the higher education and children and families committees, and is vice chair of the special committee on tourism. She gives our area a strong and influential voice in Jefferson City.
In the 2018 legislative session, Gannon sponsored House Bill 1606, which will streamline and modernize a number of state education provisions, especially in online education, and pay for first-time takers of the high school equivalency exam. It was signed by new Gov. Mike Parson on July 13.
Gannon checks many of the standard Republican boxes that voters look at, but also has strongly supported labor unions and says she plans to vote no on Proposition A.
Elaine Gannon is the right choice for Republican voters in the 115th District.
